Mark down the week of July 9-13 as yet another in the seesaw battle between NBC and ABC’s evening newscasts.

The “NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw,” anchored by Brian Williams while Brokaw vacations, won the week in total viewers – by a hair (50,000 viewers). “Nightly” averaged 8.38 million viewers to the 8.33 million viewers averaged by ABC’s “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings.” CBS’ “Evening News with Dan Rather” averaged 7.69 million viewers.

While “Nightly” and “World” tied for first among the coveted Adults 25-54 demo, “World” won the week in households, snagging 6.4 million HHS to “Nightly’s” 6.2 million HHs.

NBC notes that, “The NBC schedule was out of pattern on Monday, July 9, due to the Wimbledon’s men’s finals on NBC.”

Take a letter: Sally fires back

Sally Jessy Raphael has responded to 370-pound Marie Wheeler, the Florida woman who told her local paper that she was insulted because Raphael called her a “fat adult” on a show titled “Sally, Can You Help Me?” (“The Starr Report,” July 11).

“There are several misleading aspects to that story that need to be corrected,” Raphael wrote in a letter to the St. Petersburg Times. “Ms. Wheeler, who had come to us to lose weight, complained that although the show enrolled her in the respected L.A. Weight Loss Program and paid for her membership, she could not afford to purchase the recommended food or transportation.

“She did not make us aware of her difficulties in either of these areas,” Raphael writes. If she had, we would have gladly taken care of those expenses.

“She also was offended that I used the word ‘fat’ to describe her,” Raphael writes. “I have been privileged to work with the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance . . . [they] have specifically told me that the word ‘fat’ should be used when describing such people.

“Ms. Wheeler also complained that I did not speak with her before we started taping . . . but that is standard talk show practice,” Raphael wrote. “I’m sorry Ms. Wheeler felt she was treated unfairly, and we wish her all the best in her struggle . . . “

This just in . . .

Pianist-to-the-stars Irving Fields says he’s developing a pilot called “America’s Society Pianists,” which would feature such luminaries as Bobby Short and Peter Duchin.